Escape
by MistressAlexa
Summary: Jarod is on the wrong side of the Centre walls. Will he be able to get out? *Complete*


Disclaimer:  I do not own the Pretender.  I do not know anyone affiliated with the Pretender or its associates.  I am only a fanfiction writer who enjoys toying with the creation of Craig W. Van Sickle and Steven Long Mitchell.

Escape by Alexa

Jarod struggled against the hold the sweepers had on him, but his efforts were futile.  "You can't do this to me!  It's not right!" he yelled at the men.  Jarod's wrists were cuffed together behind his back, but he would not relent.  He continued to wiggle his arms and began dragging his feet.

"That's enough out of you," said one of the men.  He punched Jarod in the stomach causing him to double over.

"Here we are.  Enjoy your new room, rat," quipped the other sweeper.

Jarod could feel their hold on his arms diminish as he tumbled through the open door.  A boom echoed throughout the dark room before he hit the cold stone floor.  The laughter of the two men faded as Jarod realized where he was.  This was one of the deepest regions of the Centre; he was in Sublevel 26, Isolation.

Jarod didn't know how long he had been trapped in the darkness.  Hours.  Days.  Maybe even weeks.  _I have to get out of here.  I have to get out of here!  I did it once before I can do it again._  Jarod thought to himself.  He mentally reviewed his last escape and attempted to apply it to his current situation.  He lay on the cold floor staring into the blackness.  The sound of his heart beat reverberated through his head.  Movements of the guard were barely audible beyond the metal door.

"Hey!  Are you still in there?" the guard yelled.  He picked up a flashlight and shined it through the small barred window.  _Where are you?  Agh!  Stupid lab rat.  If he gets out on my watch, Mr. Raines will fry my rear._  The edge of the light found a hand.  _Ha!  There you are.  You better stay there._  "Are you alive?"  No response.  "HEY!" the guard barked and shined the light at Jarod's face.  _He must be asleep.  Well, he's still breathing.  At least he's not dead.  Not yet, anyway._  The guard turned off the flashlight and sat down on his stool.  "Damn, this is boring," he mumbled to himself.

Jarod opened his eyes to the familiarity of the dark.  The guard had only momentarily disrupted his thoughts.  Silence shortly returned to the room but was broken by a soft hum.  Jarod could feel the air begin to circulate above him.  He craned his neck around as he felt the cool air brush by his face.  _Of course, the ventilation system.  It runs throughout the entire Centre.  If I can find the access panel, I can go anywhere._  Jarod jumped to the floor and began to feel for the source of the air.

At least an hour had passed since Jarod escaped Isolation.  He had been crawling in the air conditioning ducts ever since.  _I haven't been in these since I was a child.  I hope I can remember where I'm going.  I don't want to end up in Raines's office, now do I?_  Every access panel Jarod reached led him to dangerous ground.  He reached Sublevel 20 and remembered it was mainly cell-like rooms for the Centre's various occupants.  The sounds of metal doors being locked and screaming people made him move faster.  The memories of his own time here were not fond.

Jarod climbed a few more levels and encountered lab after lab after lab.  Many were in use, but he knew that all the Simulation Labs were being watched.  Security and secrecy were two of the most important things at the Centre.  The risk of going into a Sim lab was too great.  So he continued his ascension.  Once he came upon the access hatch that led to his old room.  _How can I not have realized what the Centre was doing?  These people need to be stopped.  And I'm the one to do it.  If I can get out of here._  Jarod resumed wandering through the ducts.

Sublevel 16; Jarod was indeed making progress.  _Well, I only have 16 more levels until I'm above ground again.  Seems somehow fitting that the deep dark secrets of the Centre are buried.  The deeper the Sublevel, the darker the secret._  Jarod paused a moment as he let that realization sink in.  This had not been the first time he was thrown into Isolation.

Jarod crawled higher and higher.  By the time he approached Sublevel 10, he knew that it would become increasingly harder for him to slip out of the ventilation ducts unseen.  Offices occupied the higher Sublevels complete with security cameras.  It would be impossible to walk out the front door even if he did reach the lobby.  Jarod stopped and sat thinking.  _If they knew how I got out last time, then I can't use the same route.  I have to get past security, the cameras, the sweepers, and especially Miss Parker.  She's the reason I'm here again.  My only real chance is from the lower levels._

Jarod returned to Sublevel 17.  He waited by the hatch and listened.  The corridor was silent, nothing was around.  Nothing alive, that is.  The echo of Jarod's heart reverberated between his ears.  It sounded as loud as an alarm to him.  He ascertained the odds of someone walking down the hall.  Deciding the chances were in his favor, Jarod gently pushed the vent panel and slowly set it on the floor.  Peering around the corner, he saw no one.  Looking higher he saw the camera was turned away from him.  Jarod moved quickly and ran down the corridor.  Out of sight, he chose a door and jarred it open.  He found himself in the boiler room.  From here anyone could control the power flow and temperature of the entire Centre.  As amusing as it would be to leave Miss Parker in the dark, he knew she would figure it was him immediately.  _Better not test my luck._

Searching the room, Jarod found what he needed: a tunnel that led out of the Centre.  The deeper into the tunnel Jarod went, the more certain he was that Miss Parker or someone was going to jump out in front of him.  _This is almost too easy.  I've been out of my "cage" for over four hours, and I haven't heard any alarms._  Jarod laughed to himself as he imagined Mr. Raines or, Miss Parker's father, Mr. Parker furiously yelling at the guard who had been watching him.

The tunnel forked, Jarod stopped.  He looked one way, then the other.  Neither path showed any signs of light.  _Well, it could be night.  Which makes this more difficult.  Which way do I go?_  Jarod took a deep breath and turned right.  After a few steps, he stopped.

Click…, click…, click…, click…, click…, click…, click.

"Did you think I was going to let you get away again?  I am not going to waste another year chasing you."

Jarod slowly turned to face the owner of that voice.  A quick flash of light brightened the tunnel, and he saw her face.  The end of her cigarette was all that could be seen, and the smoke wafted toward him.

"Miss Parker.  How long have you been following me?"

I think I should also mention that this was written for my Creative Writing class.  The assignment was to describe an impenetrable fortress where a character was either trapped inside or outside.  Well, the teacher let me do it as a fanfic.  I really had no further plans for it; however, if someone else would like to continue this piece email me.  Thank you for the reviews.

As always, please R&R.  And please visit my site.

http://morbia.net/index2.html


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